Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was a Premium member with Academia.edu, but was not going to renew. Academia.edu sent an email to me a couple of weeks prior telling me my credit card had expired, and if I did not update it, my membership would not be renewed. Since I was not going to renew, the email's clear directive would simply have me not send updated credit card info and I would not be charged. They charged me anyway. The email from ******** was clearly a deliberate misdirection, not to mention a violation of trust. I find this wholly inappropriate on their behalf. In addition, the charges were obviously unexpected, causing a severe financial upheaval to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2024

  
  Thanks for getting in touch. Our records currently indicate this payment was refunded!
  
  In some cases, if you refund very close to your purchase date, your original payment will have never been processed and been removed from your card.
  
  If you still see the original charge and no refund, please contact your bank or payment processor.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 22390060
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Although I did receive a refund, the written response from ******** gives the impression they 'already' refunded me. Prior to filing this complaint with the BBB, email and phone conversations ended with outright refusal by ******** to refund me. Note, the refund was received *after* the complaint was filed with the BBB. The current response from them also glosses over (ignores) their deliberate misdirection to obtain funds from me, wherein it is neither noted nor acknowledged (even if in error). I do not grant ******** a right to appear innocent of their actions. Though I received and accept the refund, I strongly refuse their explanation/response to me via the BBB.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2024

  Hi Avry,

  
  Thanks for your feedback regarding our response. I'll let the team know!

   

  Academia Support
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22390060. 

  Within the continued atmosphere from Academia to essentially 'face-palm' this complaint, I see that beyond a refund, they will not acknowledge responsibility of deceit, so I am 'accepting' the response only as catalytic input in order to close the file. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On October 1st, I was charged automatically an extremely high price of $249 without any prior consent or information on this sharp increase for a premium account. I cancelled my subscription and asked for an immediate refund, but this has been refused by the company. Academia remains an important portal for researchers to share their work, but it seems that this company is increasingly bent on finding ways to profit from their users in the most pernicious ways than actually offering a useful platform for academics.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/08/2024

  
   Hi S,
  
  
  Thanks for following up with this concern. After discussing this with our team, we've decided to grant you a one-time exception to our renewal refunds policy. However, moving forward we will not be able to offer refunds on renewal payments after your 30-day low cost trial and first year payment.
  
  Depending on your bank, you will see the refund show up anywhere between 5-10 business days from now. Thanks for trying it out.
  
  With your free account, you'll retain access to all our Academia free features, such as uploading and downloading single papers, messaging, basic analytics, title search, and your profile.
  
  Please let us know if we can help you out with anything else, and thanks for being a part of the Academia community!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was shocked to discover a charge in the amount of $249.00 charged on September 15, 2025 on my MasterCard when I returned from my summer vacation. The charge was from Academia.edu, with which I have had a free account for several years. I did briefly try the Premium upgrade, which expired at least 8 or 9 months ago, which that Premium membership expired. I have been just a Free member ever since because I was not signed up for automatic renewal of a Premium subscription, which could not have happened. They claim that they do not refund automatic renewals, but this was not an automatic renewal, because I was a free member at the time, since at least last December 2023 precisely because I had never signed up for an automatic renewal. I wish to have the unauthorized charge reversed. (This is not, therefore, merely a case of buyer's remorse.) The problem is disingenous unauthorized charging of my account for service that I did not elect to purchase.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2024

  
   
  Thanks for following up with this concern. After discussing
  this with our team, we've decided to grant you a one-time exception to
  our renewal refunds policy. However, moving forward we will not be able
  to offer refunds on renewal payments after your 30-day low cost trial
  and first year payment.
  
  Depending on your bank, you will see the refund show up anywhere between 5-10 business days from now. Thanks for trying it out.
  
  With
  your free account, you'll retain access to all our Academia free
  features, such as uploading and downloading single papers, messaging,
  basic analytics, title search, and your profile.
  
  Please let us know if we can help you out with anything else, and thanks for being a part of the Academia community!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/15/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22373829, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Germaine A. Hoston

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/13/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have not been a member of the ***************************** in the past. They were a free search website previously in the early 2010s. As such, I have not been offered or accepted a membership, provided information or consent allowing automatic deductions from my credit card. They have taken ****** as a deduction on my credit card, without my consent. It is absolutely unacceptable that they have unexpectedly taken this amount of money and it is causing me undue financial burden. They are negatively affecting my credit since I have not budgeted for this expense and may suffer attempting to cover this last minute expense.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/14/2024

  Hi Crystal,

  
  Thanks for getting in touch. Our records indicated you had an Academia Premium subscription and so you were billed in accordance with that setting

  
  Since it sounds like that wasn't intended, I have refunded your payment. Depending on your bank, you will see the refund show up anywhere between 5-10 business days from now.
  
  As a free member, you'll keep access to all our Academia free features, such as uploading and downloading single papers, messaging, basic analytics, title search, and your profile.
  
  Please let us know if we can help you out with anything else regarding Academia or Academia Premium. Thanks for getting in touch!
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/05/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to file a complaint regarding Academia.com's unauthorized charge of $249 USD to my credit card. I was surprised to receive a notification of this charge, especially since I do not recall explicitly authorizing it.I am currently unemployed, and this unexpected charge is causing significant financial strain. Therefore, I request that this charge be reversed immediately.Additionally, I urge you to consider sending prior notice before charging customers' credit cards. It is concerning and unfair to make charges without any prior notification.I would also like to highlight that I could not find customer support information on the Academia.com website. This lack of accessible support is unacceptable and further aggravates the situation.Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a prompt resolution.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/05/2024

  Hello ***********************,

  Auto-renew was indicated in your Academia Premium subscription settings, so you were billed in accordance with that preference. A notification about your upcoming renewal payment was sent to your registered email address prior to your renewal date. We apologize for any miscommunication that *** have occurred regarding your upcoming renewal and subscription status with Academia. You can always contact our support team directly at ******************** or by visiting our help center linked in the main Academia menu options (accessed by clicking on your name from the top-right corner of the site). It can also be found here: ****************************
  
  Since it sounds like that wasn't intended, your payment has been refunded to you and your subscription has been cancelled. A refund receipt will be sent to your registered email address. Depending on your bank, you will see the refund show up anywhere between 5-10 business days from now.
  
  As a free member, you'll keep access to all our Academia free features, such as uploading and downloading single papers, messaging, basic analytics, title search, and your profile.
  
  Please let us know if we can help you out with anything else regarding Academia or Academia Premium.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/01/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  academiaedu.com tried to debit my checking account for $249, presumably for membership fees. I have had a FREE academiaedu account in the past, but I have not logged in in months. I'm fortunate that my back declined the charge and contacted me with a fraud alert text. However, since it was a fraudulent charge, my card is automatically locked, and now I have to go to my branch tomorrow to have a new card issued, which is an inconvenience I could do without. In researching this I have learned that there are many such complaints about academiaedu, and I feel it's important to add my experience to the others.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2024

  Hi *****.

   

  Sorry for the confusion here. Our records do indicate that you had an Academia Premium subscription for the year 2023-2024 and were set to annually renew this year, which is why we attempted to bill you. Since it sounds like that was incorrect, I have cancelled any billing attempts and returned you to the free service. Let me know if you have any other questions.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/30/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Money being paid for a "subscription" even though I don't have a subscription

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2024

  Hi ********,

  In order to process a refund for this payment, we need more information from you.
  
  If you paid with a credit card, please provide the last 4 digits of the card where you see the charge, the date of the payment on your card, and the amount and currency.
  
  If you paid with Paypal, please provide your Academia.edu email address or Paypal email address, and the date of the payment.
  
  If you don't know any of these, the email address that we sent the "Welcome to Academia Premium" email to will also help us look up your payment.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/13/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I looked at my bank account and to my surprise I saw a 249$ subscription from Academia.edu! I don't ever recall subscribing to this. I downloaded a paper a long time ago and would never subscribe to a service which would cost me $249 per year. I sent several emails and they continue to be unanswered! I looked on my settings and still do not see any subscription. I would like a refund, this is ALOT of money and I did not sign up for this!

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Hi *******,

  Thanks for getting in touch. Auto-renew was indicated in your Academia Premium subscription settings, so you were billed in accordance with that preference. Academia Premium includes great upgrades to our free ***************** such as Mentions (see who cites you), Readers (see who's reading your papers), our PDF packages of all documents related to a paper you like, and more.
  
  Since it sounds like that wasn't intended, I have refunded your payment. Depending on your bank, you will see the refund show up anywhere between 5-10 business days from now.
  
  As a free member, you'll keep access to all our Academia free features, such as uploading and downloading single papers, messaging, basic analytics, title search, and your profile.
  
  Please let us know if we can help you out with anything else regarding Academia or Academia Premium. Thanks for getting in touch!
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/31/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Last month I signed up and paid for 1 month subscription on academia to get access to some of the research paper and had canceled the premium subscription right after getting everything I needed. But on May 30 without my knowledge and without any notice my debit card was charged $159 for "annual" subscription. I was unknown about the subscription because I was sure I canceled it. I even emailed academia but there hasn't been any response and only a automated email reply. I hope to get a refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/31/2024

  Hi ***,

  
  It looks like your support ticket on this matter has already been answered. Our records indicate you signed up for 1 month low-cost trial and did not cancel the annual renew, thus you were billed for a year's subscription, and a refund is being processed.

   

  Let us know if you have further questions.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/26/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 5/26/2024 I was checking my bank account at **************** and discovered that academia.edu had billed me for $249. I have never signed up with this company or given them my bank account details. The charge is "RECURRING PAYMENT AUTHORIZED ON 05/23 ACADEMIA.EDU/PAYME ACADEMIA.EDU CA S384144727434424 CARD XXXX." I had no dealings with them on 5/23/2024 or ever. I have never subscribed to or signed up for their services. I want the charge reversed and my bank account information deleted from their files.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/28/2024

   

  Hi,
  Thanks for getting in touch. Auto-renew was indicated in your Academia Premium subscription settings, so you were billed in accordance with that preference. Academia Premium includes great upgrades to our free ***************** such as Mentions (see who cites you), Readers (see who's reading your papers), our PDF packages of all documents related to a paper you like, and more. Your account can be found here: *********************************************** and you can log in with your **************** email address. 
  
  Since it sounds like that wasn't intended, I have refunded your payment. Depending on your bank, you will see the refund show up anywhere between 5-10 business days from now.
  
  As a free member, you'll keep access to all our Academia free features, such as uploading and downloading single papers, messaging, basic analytics, title search, and your profile.
  
  Please let us know if we can help you out with anything else regarding Academia or Academia Premium. Thanks for getting in touch!
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 21763198
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Thank you for getting back to me. I appreciate your response, but we have a couple of issues:

  (1) I don't want a free account. I want all the information you have about me, including my bank info, purged from your system, so that this incident doesn't happen again, even inadvertently. I want no relationship whatsoever in any capacity between us.
  
  (2) I appreciate the refund. Unfortunately, my bank card number has been changed due to my information being compromised in the recent AT&T data breach (It's the bank's policy in these cases). I'm not sure how that would affect your refund. If it does create a problem, you are free to mail me a check. I can provide you my address if necessary. 

  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2024

  Hi ******,

   

  Sure, we've deleted your account and the information we have in our systems. Currently, we are only able to refund to your original payment method, but essentially all banks and card processors have systems in place to redirect these funds to you in a way that you can access. We recommend following up with them for more information.

  
  Thanks,

  Academia Support